Chargers coach Mike McCoy said Royal landed on his back and had a difficult time breathing. "For precautionary reasons, we took him to the hospital to make sure he's OK," McCoy said, via U-T San Diego.

After the fall, Royal got up and began walking toward the trainers room, but he stopped halfway and the training staff began working on him at that point.

Following an evaluation by the staff, an ambulance arrived to take Royal to the hospital. Royal, 27, was loaded onto a stretcher.

After practice, McCoy described the play in which Royal was injured: “Eddie went up for a ball, caught the ball, landed on his back and felt shortness of breath. He had a little bit of a hard time breathing."

Safety Eric Weddle told U-T San Diego, "He was about 10 feet in the air. He just fell straight down on his back."

The Chargers have been hit hard by injuries at wide receiver. Danario Alexander was lost for the season with a torn ACL, and fellow starter Malcom Floyd is currently sidelined after suffering a knee strain in practice earlier this week.

The Chargers' wideout unit also includes former Saint Robert Meachem, Vincent Brown (who has missed practice time with a hamstring injury) and rookie Keenan Allen.

Royal had 23 catches for 234 yards and one touchdown for San Diego last season after spending his first four years with the Broncos.

Meanwhile, the Chargers lost rookie cornerback Steve Williams to a torn pectoral muscle suffered in the Thursday night loss to the Bears. Williams, a fifth-round pick, is expected to be out for the season.